I took delivery of a Tinker in January. With the improved weather I now have enough experience to make it worthwhile to share with anyone contemplating purchasing a Tinker. If you have any questions I will be happy to answer.
Me
Tall. Very heavy (at beginning of year). Occasional cyclist aiming to become a more frequent but casual cyclist.
Which bike?
My real desire was a folding bike for easy transportation by car or small boat. My goals were quality, good range, crank drive so the motor could benefit from the gears to transport my bulk, and upright cycling position. My heart was firmly set on a Tern Vektron. At this time I had read about and dismissed the idea of a Tinker. It didn’t fold and it was very expensive. When the new Vektron, with the sloping battery, was released, I paid a visit to a bike shop to see it. Alas I was too heavy for it, which I knew, but I had hoped that the specifications were overly cautious and it would be OK. Even if I lost weight, a big challenge, I would not be able to carry any additional luggage load as my body weight alone would be at the frame limit. I was also not keen on the exposed and low hanging derailleur. I looked at many folders and none would take my weight. Instead I looked at compact bikes and returned to investigate the Tinker.
Why Tinker?
Of course it looks gorgeous. Your eyes can sense the quality. As you would expect from most owners, I will strongly support my purchase decision. It is love. It is delight. I am very happy. After very disciplined eating during January to March I am actually now significantly lighter and could take to a Vektron. In the meantime I have learned why the Tinker is, after all, a better choice for me:
PLUS POINTS
Compact - very quick to fold down handle bars and saddle to make a low profile for storing or transporting. It fits the small spaces where I had thought only a folder would go. That said, it still takes a good amount more space than a folder but it meets my needs.
Motor - I appreciate that the Bosch CX motor is slightly less economical than its junior brothers and sisters, and reportedly slightly noisier. But it is the right choice for me. Why R&M chose the CX for a compact bike I do not know but it is the right choice as far as I am concerned. I recently went to a rendezvous first by train and then onwards on a modest 14 mile round trip by bike. Leaving the railway station I saw, for first time, Streatley Hill ahead of me. This is a 12-18% gradient and stays at this gradient for 0.9km. For comparison, the steepest San Francisco hill is 21%. At the start of my day, on the flat, the indicated range was 66 miles in eco mode. As Tinker and I climbed this serious hill in turbo mode the indicated range dropped to 19 miles. But it went well. By the end of day it returned to 44 miles. Being able to take on hills, unplanned and without stress, is exactly why I wanted a pedelec and the CX for me showed its form. I am very happy with the CX and I would never describe it as noisy or even slightly noise. It’s barely noticeable most of the time. Having friends with GoCycle experience, although great bike I prefer the simpler Bosch controls to the phone-based controls of the GoCycle. For those considering GoCycle, especially the new easy folding version, I will share a brief experience of Tinker / CX vs. GoCycle hill performance. It seems to me that the GoCycle hub motor has somewhat lower torque than the CX. While I was proceeding gently up a steep hill on my Tinker, a fellow and somewhat lighter rider on a GoCycle overtook me at speed as they were ‘going for it’. So it you want to match a Tinker with a GoCycle in a group, no problem at all.
Riding position and stability - I always enjoyed Dutch-style upright riding and the Tinker delivers just that, even though I am a tall person. Riding is very comfortable. I will add that the supplied saddle is the most comfortable I have ever experienced as a casual rider. A bonus is the palm support on each handle bar that reduces pressure on your hands to a minimum. It is a very comfortable ride indeed, aided by the front suspension and thud buster seat post. If you are the sort that likes to whistle happily while riding in the sunshine, you will like the Tinker. Underway, even at speed downhill, the bike is very stable and reassuring. It does not feel to me that the small wheels compromise the ride.
Stay-clean transmission - the combination of the belt drive, instead of chain, and the sealed Enviolo / Nuvinci constantly variable gearing means no oil marks on car or boat or on me. I also learn that the belt will last longer than a chain (I had thought chains lasted forever…). With the 20 inch wheels, the internal hub ‘gearing’ means excellent ground clearance. Everything is clean and will not suffer in sea air.
Brakes - my first experience of disk brakes. They are so good. I imagine all bikes with disk brakes will give the same good feelings.
Rack - the included Racktime rack is brilliant. I have both pannier and box attachments and I readily use them as they are so easy to attach. My large feet clear both when pedaling. The click on / click off mechanism makes the attachments very usable.
Lights - integrated and turned on/off using the control panel. Common in the pedelec world I am sure but still much appreciated. The bike becomes jump on and go.
Miscellaneous - 1. I like the way that the kickstand is well away from the cranks. No more pushing your bike when the stand is down only to have it jam against the pedals. 2. Seat is easily adjusted. 3. Integrated lock on back wheel for short stops where theft risk is minimal. 4. Constantly variable Enviolo ‘gear’ is so simple to use - I soon adapted to it. Not too stiff as I have read elsewhere. 5. Puncture resistant tyres. 6. Permanent mud guards front and back.
MINUS POINTS
Not a lot really. 1. Price, though this is the last bike I intend to buy so was happy to invest. 2. On my particular bike, the front mudguard looks like it bent a little in transit. I will get it sorted at next service. 3. Silent at first, a small click has developed around the front wheel. I think it might be the mudguard fitting which has an usual key so I cannot tighten it. To be fixed at service. 4. Presta valve, back to my youth, but adapters are cheap. 5. Theft - for all pedelecs, a risk always on my mind. I have left the bike in the wild with two gold sold secure locks and I still have the bike.
A TIP - PHONE MOUNT
The handlebars are great but they are tapered and there is not much space to place a phone mount or mounts that expect a circular handlebar. One solution is to combine a Morpheus Labs M4s case with a RAM Mount fitting. The Morpheus system uses a very well engineered, very secure magnetic twist lock. What to order:
Next steps
I will change the pedals, perfectly good, to folding pedals to take up less space.
Conclusion
The more I think about it, the more I realise that Tinker, perhaps uniquely, ticks all the boxes for my requirements. It is a great combination.
Compact + powerful crank motor + high capacity battery + upright comfortable riding + belt drive + sealed constantly variable gearing + versatile rack + great ride + top quality
Me
Tall. Very heavy (at beginning of year). Occasional cyclist aiming to become a more frequent but casual cyclist.
Which bike?
My real desire was a folding bike for easy transportation by car or small boat. My goals were quality, good range, crank drive so the motor could benefit from the gears to transport my bulk, and upright cycling position. My heart was firmly set on a Tern Vektron. At this time I had read about and dismissed the idea of a Tinker. It didn’t fold and it was very expensive. When the new Vektron, with the sloping battery, was released, I paid a visit to a bike shop to see it. Alas I was too heavy for it, which I knew, but I had hoped that the specifications were overly cautious and it would be OK. Even if I lost weight, a big challenge, I would not be able to carry any additional luggage load as my body weight alone would be at the frame limit. I was also not keen on the exposed and low hanging derailleur. I looked at many folders and none would take my weight. Instead I looked at compact bikes and returned to investigate the Tinker.
Why Tinker?
Of course it looks gorgeous. Your eyes can sense the quality. As you would expect from most owners, I will strongly support my purchase decision. It is love. It is delight. I am very happy. After very disciplined eating during January to March I am actually now significantly lighter and could take to a Vektron. In the meantime I have learned why the Tinker is, after all, a better choice for me:
PLUS POINTS
Compact - very quick to fold down handle bars and saddle to make a low profile for storing or transporting. It fits the small spaces where I had thought only a folder would go. That said, it still takes a good amount more space than a folder but it meets my needs.
Motor - I appreciate that the Bosch CX motor is slightly less economical than its junior brothers and sisters, and reportedly slightly noisier. But it is the right choice for me. Why R&M chose the CX for a compact bike I do not know but it is the right choice as far as I am concerned. I recently went to a rendezvous first by train and then onwards on a modest 14 mile round trip by bike. Leaving the railway station I saw, for first time, Streatley Hill ahead of me. This is a 12-18% gradient and stays at this gradient for 0.9km. For comparison, the steepest San Francisco hill is 21%. At the start of my day, on the flat, the indicated range was 66 miles in eco mode. As Tinker and I climbed this serious hill in turbo mode the indicated range dropped to 19 miles. But it went well. By the end of day it returned to 44 miles. Being able to take on hills, unplanned and without stress, is exactly why I wanted a pedelec and the CX for me showed its form. I am very happy with the CX and I would never describe it as noisy or even slightly noise. It’s barely noticeable most of the time. Having friends with GoCycle experience, although great bike I prefer the simpler Bosch controls to the phone-based controls of the GoCycle. For those considering GoCycle, especially the new easy folding version, I will share a brief experience of Tinker / CX vs. GoCycle hill performance. It seems to me that the GoCycle hub motor has somewhat lower torque than the CX. While I was proceeding gently up a steep hill on my Tinker, a fellow and somewhat lighter rider on a GoCycle overtook me at speed as they were ‘going for it’. So it you want to match a Tinker with a GoCycle in a group, no problem at all.
Riding position and stability - I always enjoyed Dutch-style upright riding and the Tinker delivers just that, even though I am a tall person. Riding is very comfortable. I will add that the supplied saddle is the most comfortable I have ever experienced as a casual rider. A bonus is the palm support on each handle bar that reduces pressure on your hands to a minimum. It is a very comfortable ride indeed, aided by the front suspension and thud buster seat post. If you are the sort that likes to whistle happily while riding in the sunshine, you will like the Tinker. Underway, even at speed downhill, the bike is very stable and reassuring. It does not feel to me that the small wheels compromise the ride.
Stay-clean transmission - the combination of the belt drive, instead of chain, and the sealed Enviolo / Nuvinci constantly variable gearing means no oil marks on car or boat or on me. I also learn that the belt will last longer than a chain (I had thought chains lasted forever…). With the 20 inch wheels, the internal hub ‘gearing’ means excellent ground clearance. Everything is clean and will not suffer in sea air.
Brakes - my first experience of disk brakes. They are so good. I imagine all bikes with disk brakes will give the same good feelings.
Rack - the included Racktime rack is brilliant. I have both pannier and box attachments and I readily use them as they are so easy to attach. My large feet clear both when pedaling. The click on / click off mechanism makes the attachments very usable.
Lights - integrated and turned on/off using the control panel. Common in the pedelec world I am sure but still much appreciated. The bike becomes jump on and go.
Miscellaneous - 1. I like the way that the kickstand is well away from the cranks. No more pushing your bike when the stand is down only to have it jam against the pedals. 2. Seat is easily adjusted. 3. Integrated lock on back wheel for short stops where theft risk is minimal. 4. Constantly variable Enviolo ‘gear’ is so simple to use - I soon adapted to it. Not too stiff as I have read elsewhere. 5. Puncture resistant tyres. 6. Permanent mud guards front and back.
MINUS POINTS
Not a lot really. 1. Price, though this is the last bike I intend to buy so was happy to invest. 2. On my particular bike, the front mudguard looks like it bent a little in transit. I will get it sorted at next service. 3. Silent at first, a small click has developed around the front wheel. I think it might be the mudguard fitting which has an usual key so I cannot tighten it. To be fixed at service. 4. Presta valve, back to my youth, but adapters are cheap. 5. Theft - for all pedelecs, a risk always on my mind. I have left the bike in the wild with two gold sold secure locks and I still have the bike.
A TIP - PHONE MOUNT
The handlebars are great but they are tapered and there is not much space to place a phone mount or mounts that expect a circular handlebar. One solution is to combine a Morpheus Labs M4s case with a RAM Mount fitting. The Morpheus system uses a very well engineered, very secure magnetic twist lock. What to order:
- “Morpheus Labs M4s case (bike mount is not included)” - This is a phone case with magnetic twist lock back.
- “Morpheus Labs M4s mount with RAM Ball-Adapter” - This is a magnetic connector to the case, with an attached ball
- “RAM 1 x U-Bolt Base, 1.25" OD max, 1" ball (stainless u-bolt) (RAM-B-231-1)” - This is a U-bolt that attaches a ball to your tapering handlebars
- “RAM 1 x Composite Double Socket Short Arm 1" Ball (RAP-B-201-A)” - This is a short clamp to join the two balls
Next steps
I will change the pedals, perfectly good, to folding pedals to take up less space.
Conclusion
The more I think about it, the more I realise that Tinker, perhaps uniquely, ticks all the boxes for my requirements. It is a great combination.
Compact + powerful crank motor + high capacity battery + upright comfortable riding + belt drive + sealed constantly variable gearing + versatile rack + great ride + top quality
